TL

tldr-overview

Quickly map out a new codebase's structure, architecture, and complexity areas.

Install

mkdir -p .claude/skills/tldr-overview && curl -L -o skill.zip "https://agentskills.codes/api/skills/download/4065" && unzip -o skill.zip -d .claude/skills/tldr-overview && rm skill.zip

Installs to .claude/skills/tldr-overview

Activation

This is the description your AI agent reads to decide when to run this skill — the better it matches your request, the more reliably it fires.

Get a token-efficient overview of any project using the TLDR stack
66 charsno explicit “when” trigger
Beginner

Key capabilities

  • Generate project file tree
  • Extract code structure including functions and classes
  • Build cross-file call graphs
  • Identify high-complexity code hot spots

How it works

It maps the project by generating a file tree, extracting code structure, building a call graph, and calculating cyclomatic complexity for key functions.

Inputs & outputs

You give it
Project directory path
You get back
Architectural overview including structure, call graph, and complexity hot spots

When to use tldr-overview

  • Onboarding to a new project
  • Mapping project architecture
  • Identifying high-complexity code areas
  • Documenting project structure

About this skill

TLDR Project Overview

Get a token-efficient overview of any project using the TLDR stack.

Trigger

  • /overview or /tldr-overview
  • "give me an overview of this project"
  • "what's in this codebase"
  • Starting work on an unfamiliar project

Execution

1. File Tree (Navigation Map)

tldr tree . --ext .py    # or .ts, .go, .rs

2. Code Structure (What Exists)

tldr structure src/ --lang python --max 50

Returns: functions, classes, imports per file

3. Call Graph Entry Points (Architecture)

tldr calls src/

Returns: cross-file relationships, main entry points

4. Key Function Complexity (Hot Spots)

For each entry point found:

tldr cfg src/main.py main  # Get complexity

Output Format

## Project Overview: {project_name}

### Structure
{tree output - files and directories}

### Key Components
{structure output - functions, classes per file}

### Architecture (Call Graph)
{calls output - how components connect}

### Complexity Hot Spots
{cfg output - functions with high cyclomatic complexity}

---
Token cost: ~{N} tokens (vs ~{M} raw = {savings}% savings)

When NOT to Use

  • Already familiar with the project
  • Working on a specific file (use targeted tldr commands instead)
  • Test files (need full context)

Programmatic Usage

from tldr.api import get_file_tree, get_code_structure, build_project_call_graph

# 1. Tree
tree = get_file_tree("src/", extensions={".py"})

# 2. Structure
structure = get_code_structure("src/", language="python", max_results=50)

# 3. Call graph
calls = build_project_call_graph("src/", language="python")

# 4. Complexity for hot functions
for edge in calls.edges[:10]:
    cfg = get_cfg_context("src/" + edge[0], edge[1])

When not to use it

  • When already familiar with the project
  • When working on a specific file
  • When analyzing test files

Limitations

  • Test files are excluded from the overview
  • Complexity analysis is limited to identified entry points

How it compares

It provides a structured architectural overview rather than requiring manual exploration of individual files.

Compared to similar skills

tldr-overview side by side with the closest alternatives in the catalog.

SkillInstallsUpdatedSafetyDifficulty
tldr-overview (this skill)16moReviewBeginner
fact-check77moReviewIntermediate
agent-researcher46moReviewIntermediate
research-engineer26moNo flagsAdvanced

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